Haven't Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman given us the definitive Miss Daisy and her chauffeur Hoke, in the 1989 movie version of the Pulitzer Prize winning play?

Though it would certainly be hard to top those two, Circle Arts Theatre's production, which opened last Thursday in New Braunfels, has some strong acting assets of its own. The most obvious one is Early B. Teal as Hoke; the actor easily could give Freeman a run for his money. Teal is such a believable, likable and all-round genuine Hoke that his performance alone is worth the drive up I-35.

But there's another good reason to bring the play back. It's a kind of story you want to expose new generations to. Without preaching, the show is a subtle lesson in both history and human psychology.

After the 72-year-old Miss Daisy totals her car in an accident, her businessman son Boolie (Adam Fellers) wants to hire a driver for her. Despite her vehement protests, Boolie retains Hoke, to whom he explains that his strong-willed mother can be a handful.

Through a series of short scenes, the play follows the relationship between the accommodating but dignified Hoke and the prickly but gradually softening Daisy. While the two come from different worlds — she is a wealthy Jewish widow; he a virtually illiterate African American — they eventually come to see each other in a different light, shed their prejudices and forge a strong friendship.

Set in Atlanta between the years 1948 and 1973, this often humorous yet touching personal saga is juxtaposed with the social changes that stirred the South in those years.

Under the direction of Elizabeth Elliott, the Circle Arts production is pretty straightforward, with minimal sets and simple, utilitarian lighting. Musical interludes tie the scenes together, effectively conveying a sense of passing time.

But while Teal ages convincingly over the 25 years that the action covers, this is less true of Joyce Marcoe as Miss Daisy until the very last couple of scenes. At first petulantly one-dimensional, the actress did seem to grow more comfortable with her changing character as the performance progressed opening night.

Though his role is secondary, Fellers is spot-on as the busy but not insensitive son. His one chance to show off his acting chops comes in a scene where he has to decline his mother's invitation to a dinner featuring Martin Luther King Jr. as the speaker. His discomfort is both understated and palpable as he explains that his business relationships may be negatively affected by him being seen in such a place.

Roberta Elliot's sound design contributes to the impact of the play.

Buy tickets online at www.circleartstheatre.org